Elderly ward to close at Hamilton's Udston Hospital

Fury at closure of local hospital as 15 beds are moved to Hairmyres.

The Avon ward at Udston Hospital is closing on Thursday, May 1, with 15 beds moving to Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride.

The ward provides intermediate care for elderly patients while they are waiting for care home places or arrangements being made for them to return to their own homes.

Fifteen beds were already moved from the ward to Hairmyres last summer.

NHS Lanarkshire say there are better facilities available at the East Kilbride hospital, but relatives and patients are worried about the disruption, and feel this is not the best move for elderly care in the area.

One worried woman, who knows several patients, told the Advertiser: “Where will patients waiting to be placed in nursing home care go now?

“People are saying ‘My mother has been moved enough times already’ and ‘care homes of choice have no beds’.

“Why can there be no medical cover within NHS Lanarkshire to enable ward to remain open?

“Udston is a local hospital for local people, excess travelling for visitors will increase stress for families and patients.”

An Udston hospital outpatient added: “Udston Hospital is a good location. It is an essential part of the community.

“If the facility was to move to Hairmyres Hospital it would be much less accessible.

“Any move would be a big shock to both the patients and their relatives.”

There is also a feeling that cost-cutting is at the centre of the decision, although NHS Lanarkshire insist it is patient care.

One concerned relative said: “Senior managers seem to be neglecting care of the elderly’s needs in South Lanarkshire – finance yet again at the centre of care needs.”

A spokesperson for NHS Lanarkshire said: “Udston Hospital’s Avon ward had 30 permanent intermediate care beds. Fifteen of these beds transferred to Hairmyres Hospital in summer 2013 and the remaining 15 beds will transfer to Hairmyres Hospital on May 1 as part of the Reshaping Care for Older People (RCOP) programme.

“The medical services available to the patients within the new ward in Hairmyres will be enhanced with additional specialist medical, nursing and rehabilitation staff. The timing of the transfer of the 15 remaining Avon ward beds is a result of the GP practice, which provides medical services at the Avon Ward, being no longer able to do so.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Avon ward staff and the GP practice for providing care to patients down the years.”

There are 15 extra beds, in addition to the 15 permanent beds, in the Avon ward at the moment. However, these extra beds were placed there temporarily over the winter to deal with elderly care during the cold weather.

The temporary beds were due to be removed at the end of April anyway, which is why only the 15 permanent beds are transferring to Hairmyres.